Connect with us

Metro

Tanzanian court sentences 11 people to death for killing South African conservationist

Published

on

A Tanzanian High Court has sentenced 11 people to death after they were found guilty of killing a South African conservationist, Wayne Lotter, who was murdered in Dar es Salaam in 2017.

The convicts include nine Tanzanians and two citizens of neighbouring Burundi.

The victim was a renowned anti-poaching activist who was singled out by the convicts for disrupting their illegal poaching activities, according to prosecutors while testifying in court on Friday.

State prosecutors told Judge Leila Mgonya that the 51-year-old Lotter who was based in Tanzania, was a founder of the PAMS Foundation, an NGO which worked to stop the poaching of elephants and trafficking of ivory in the East African country.

He was shot dead in Dar es Salaam when the taxi he was travelling in was ambushed and though the exact motive for his killing is still unknown, his colleagues believe he was singled out for his work on protecting elephants, local media reports.

While handing down the death sentences, Judge Mgonya said there was compelling evidence that linked the 11 to the two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and murder on which they were charged

“Some of the suspects, in their statements recorded by police officers, confessed to have taken part in the conspiracy meetings and in killing. The evidence provided was strong enough to convict them,” the judge said.

Tanzania is one of the worst hit African countries in terms of elephant poaching, with a data released early this year noting that more than 66,000 elephants have been lost in the last 10 years due to the activities of illegal poachers.

Metro

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

Published

on

Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.

Secretary-General of the UPND, Batuke Imenda, who gave the warning in a statement in Lusaka on Monday, urged political opponents to always engage in mature and issue-based discourse.

Zambia Monitor reports that Imenda’s warning, was directed at the leader of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) party, Kelvin Bwalya Fube, whose recent remarks Imenda described as “provocative” and a “feeble attempt to mislead citizens.”

“Provocative words uttered by Kelvin Bwalya against our party and President Hichilema are a clear demonstration of naivety,” Imenda said in the statement.

He further advised Bwalya to abandon personal attacks and focus on substantial political issues.

The UPND Secretary suggested that Bwalya’s attacks stemmed from a desire for relevance amid declining political fortunes, hinting at a possible alignment with former President Edgar Lungu.

“It appears KBF is hoping that Edgar Lungu might support his embattled political career by unjustly attacking President Hichilema,” he said.

Imenda defended the President’s record, highlighting that under Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia’s democratic space had expanded compared to the previous PF administration, which he accused of stifling freedoms.

He noted that while criticism was welcome, it should not devolve into baseless attacks, warning that opposition figures should not misinterpret Hichilema’s restraint as weakness.

Imenda also criticized Bwalya for overlooking the gains in transparency and justice since the change in government, claiming that past regimes were marked by resource mismanagement and corruption.

Continue Reading

Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

on

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Tech5 hours ago

Mastercard partners Diamond Trust Bank to boost digital payments in East Africa

Mastercard has struck a strategic partnership with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) to boost digital payments in East Africa with specific...

Uncategorized5 hours ago

Zimbabwe bans police from using mobile phones while on duty

The Zimbabwean government has banned members of its police force from using mobile phones while on duty. The ban, which...

Metro5 hours ago

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his...

Sports8 hours ago

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25,...

VenturesNow9 hours ago

Zambian govt spends K16.6 billion in October on debt servicing, gulping K4.7 billion

Zambian Ministry of Finance and National Planning released K16.6 billion in October to assist Zambian development and public service delivery,...

Metro12 hours ago

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest...

Sports1 day ago

Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui...

Tech1 day ago

AfriLabs to host ‘Annual Gathering’ in Cape Town

Pan-African innovation hub, AfriLabs, has announced Cape Town, South Africa, as the host of its “Annual Gathering” scheduled to hold...

Metro1 day ago

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as...

VenturesNow1 day ago

South Africa: Petrol, diesel prices to rise on Wednesday. Here’s why

Following an increase in the price of oil due to the crisis between Iran and Israel, petrol and diesel prices...

Trending